Airship.



J. E. ALLEN.

AIRSHIP.

APPLICATION FILED APR.11,1912.

Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

6 SHEETSSHEET l.

auuc utoz J. E. ALLEN.

AIRSHIP.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 11, 1912\.

Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

un/Wm J. E. ALLEN.

AIRSHIP.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 11, 1912.

Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

6 SHEETSSHEET 3.

. JEHZZPIZW J E. ALL'EN.

AIRSHIP.

APPLIGATION FILED APR.11,1912.

Patented Dec. 23, 1913 6 SHEETSSHEET 4.

anuwntoz J. E. ALLEN.

AIRSHIP. APPLICATION rum) APR. 11, '1912.

1 82,472. 7 i Patented De. 23, 1913.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

Q/Vummoeo I .T.E.ALLEN.

AIRSHIP.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 11, 191i 1,082,472. Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

' a SHEETS-S M 6.

WWW I 4 /1 I JOHN EDWIN ALLEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AIRSHIP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 11, 1912. Serial 310. 690,036.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LJOHN EDWIN ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in- Airships; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention,

such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

- This invention relates to new and useful improvements in air ships and more particularly to air ships of the dirigible type.

An object of this invention is the provision of an air ship comprising a car in the opposite ends of which are located cham bers adapted to contain gas or the like by means of which tlie said car can be supported in the air.

Another object of this invention is the provision of an air ship provided with a plurality of propellers arranged at such angles that the same can be propelled through the air guided and causedto either ascend or' descend as directed by the operator.

A further object of this invention is the provision. of a car to which is attached a pair of counterpart gas bags adapted to retain the car in the air.

Still another object of this invention is the provision in an air ship of a car, and supporting means therefor to which is connected a plurality of supporting planes and superimposed guide planes by means of which the air ship can be made to-ascend or descend at the will of the operator.

. A still further object of this invention is to improve and simplify devices of this character, rendering them comparatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, reliable and efficient in use and readily operated.

With the above and other objects in view, this invention resides in the novel features of construction, formations, combinations and arrangements of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved air ship. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is an end view thereof. Fig. 4: is a longitudinal sectional view taken through one end of my improved air ship on the line 44 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a transwhich comprises a car verse sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of F g.1. Fig. 6 IS a similar view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through one end of the car on the line 7-7 of Fig. 2011 an enlarged scale. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 88 of Fig. 2 illns Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

trating the manner of connecting one of the gas bags to the supporting frame. Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view illustrating the fragments of several of the longitudinal supporting ribs of the car and one of the transverse ribs. Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail sectional view illustrating the inlet tap for one of the gas compartments of the car. Fig. 11 is a detail view illustrating the method of supporting casings. Fig. 12 is a detail view illustrating the manner of attaching the skids to the car. Iig. 13 is a detail view illustrating one of the guides for directing one of the operating rods into the car.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by similar characters of reference.throughout the several views, the numeral 15 designates generally my improved air ship,

16 which is of substantially cylindrical formation throughout the greater part of its length, the same being correspondingly tapered at its opposite ends as shown at 17.

The cylindrical portion of the car 16 comprises inner and outer casings 18 and 19 which extend concentrically relative to each other and. between which are interposed spaced circular ribs 20 arranged in parallel planes, and'formed with spaced openings 21 through which are extended longitudinal supporting ribs 22. Tapered casings 23 and 24 extend from the opposite ends of the car, the former thereof being secured to the adjacent ends of the casing 19,'while the latter are provided with inwardly directed flanges 25 which extend parallel to the flanges 26 formed upon the opposite ends of the casing 18, and between which are disposed partitions 27 which contact with the inner faces of the flanges 25 and 26 and are formed with peripheral flanges 29 arranged for attachment with the meeting ends of the casings 19 and 23. I These partitions 27 are apertured for the reception of the ends of the rods 22 which are then extended between the casings 23 and 24. Supplemental end caps 29 are attached to the terminals of the one of the window casings 23 by means of eye bolts 30 to the ends of which are secured the extremities of the rods 22.

Transverse partitions 31 are disposed within the caps 29 in contact with the adjacent ends ofthe'casings 23 and 24 and are formed with central openings 32 disposed in registration with the openings 33 of the partitions 27 with which they are connected by sleeves 34 in which are disposed oppositely extending alining shafts 35 to the opposite ends of Which exterior of the caps 29 are keyed the drive propellers 36. Ball races 37 are secured within the caps 29 for the reception of ball bearings 38 which engage the opposite ball races 39 keyed adjacent the outer extremities of the shafts 35. A bracket 40 is secured within the inner end of each sleeve 34 and is provided with a central bearing 41 to receive the shafts 35, and side bearings 42 disposed in vertical registration to receive upper and lower countershafts 43 and 44 which are journaled at their opposite ends in supplemental bearings 45, which extend from the partitions 27. Pinions 46 and 47 are keyed to the opposite ends of the countershaft- 43, and the former meshes with the pinion 47 carried by a supplemental countershaft 48 which is connected in any suitable manner to the engines 49 arranged in the engine rooms 50 which are disposed in the opposite ends of the car 16 being formed by the transverse partitions 51 which are arranged with suitable doors 52 by means of which access can be had to -the said engine rooms. The pinion 47 meshes with the pinions 53 carried by the shafts 35, which pinions 53 also mesh with the pinions 54, carried by the countershafts 44, which last mentioned countershafts also carry keyed to their lower ends pinions 55 which are operatively connected through pinions 56 which are in turn keyed to the lower supplemental countershafts 57 journaled at their opposite extremities in bearings 58 secured to the opposite sides of the inner casing 18 within the engine rooms 50. Theopposite terminals of the countershafts 57 have keyed thereon pinions 59 which mesh with pinions 60 carried by the upper terminals of the depending drive shafts 61 which are arranged in pairs within the engine rooms 50 being mounted in bearings 62. These shafts 61 carry keyed to their lower extremities propellers 63 arranged in horizontal planes for the purpose which will be brought out in the description of the operation.

An intermediate supplemental countershaft 64 is journaled in bearings65 in each side of each engine room 50'and extends through each side' of the car 16 at each end thereof, While secured to the outer extremities of these countershafts 64 are vertically disposed side propellers 66 the purposeof.

which will be disclosed in the description of the operation. These shafts 64 are rotatably connected as at 67 to the upper supplemental countershafts 48 and are driven by the engines 49.

Each of the before mentioned shafts are equipped with operating means as shown at 68 by means of which these said shafts can be either connected to or disconnected from the engines 49 or reversed in their direction of rotation. I

The inner casings 24 and the partitions 27 and 31 produce air tight compartments 69 into which gas can be directed through the taps 70, while access can be had to the car 16 through the door 71. The occupants of the car are provided with light which can enter through the windows 72 which are surrounded by the casings 73 supported by the adjacent terminals of the rods 22 to which they are secured.

The car 16 is supported upon skids 74 which are secured at their opposite terminals as shown at 75 between the inner and outer casings 18 and 19. U-shaped supporting members 76 are secured at their arches 77 to the underside of the car 16, while'the terzrinals of their legs 78 are connected by longitudinal rods 79, and transverse rods 80. The rods 79 are in turn connected by upper transverse rods 81 to which are hingedly connected a plurality of supporting planes 82 which are operated through the medium of bell crank levers 83 which are connected in groups by links 84 which can be swung longitudinally of the frame by the levers 83 for the purpose of elevating or lowering the free ends of the planes 82. Elevating planes 85 are hinged to the end rods 81 and have supported thereabove supplemental elevating planes 86. These planes 85 and 86 are substantially triangular in cross section tapering toward the outer ends of the air ship, while the elevating planes 85 are connected to rocker arms 87 which can be swung through the medium of the levers 88 which are slidable in guides 89 to tilt the said planes 85 and 86 either upwardly or downwardly to cause the air ship to ascend or descend.

Rings 90 are hingedly connected for swinging movement by eyes 91 to the rods 79, while supported by these rings 90 are a pair of gas bags 92 arranged in parallel relation upon opposite sides and longitudinally of the air ship to assist in stabilizing the machine. These gas bags 92 like the car 16 are tapered toward their opposite terminals as at 93 to prevent any friction caused by the machine in passing through the air.

A horizontal, platform 93 is disposed lon gitudinally of the car 16 within the passenger compartment 94 located between the partition 51, while supported upon film platform 93 is a Windlass 95 upon which is wound a cable 96 which extends through the platform and bottom of the car 16 for connection with an anchor 97 Seats 98 are disposed longitudinally of the compartment 94 for the accommodation of the passengers.

The operation of the air ship is as follows: The engines 49 are started, and the shafts are connected therewith which causes the rotation in opposite directions, of the propellers 36 which propel the machine over the ground upon the skids 74. WVhen it is desired to ascend the shafts 61 are thrown into engagement with the engines' and driven in such direction that the propellers 63 will be rotated to cause the forward end of the car to cause the machine upon forward movement to ascend. This operation is supplemented by the planes 82, 85 and 86 which can be tilted in proper directions by the levers 83 and 88. When the machine is in the air the same can be steered from right to left by throwing in the clutch members which control the shafts 64:, driving the latter so as to rotate the propellers 66 in their proper directions to swing the machine either to the right or to the left. When it is desired to cause the machine to descend the planes 82, 85 and 86 are tilted. reversely and. the propellers 63 are caused to operate in opposite directions. It should be understood in this connection that various minor changes in the details of construction'can be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

From the foregoing disclosures taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it will be manifest that a device of the nature described is provided whichwill fulfil all of the necessary requirements of such a device.

' Having thus fully described this invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is

spaced cylindrical casings, tapered casings connected to the ends of the cylindrical casings, supporting means disposed between the casings, U-shaped members attached to the car and extending thereabove, supporting means carried by the U-shaped members, planes supported by the intermediate portions of the supporting means, elevating planes attached to the supporting means at the ends of the car, gas bags secured to the supporting means, means for propelling the car and means for steerin the same.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

J OHN' EDWIN ALLEN. Witnesses:

LUCIUS W. VASHINGTON, HENRY H. KOGER.

y 1. The combination with a car, of means 

